Chapter Eighteen: A New Feast Recalls Old Times
“Master, it really is you.” Yang Xiao took two steps forward, unable to hide the joy in her eyes, and knelt down in front of Qi Kun. She looked at him with a relieved smile, but her voice trembled slightly involuntarily, and her eyes gradually became moist. Before she knew it, hot tears were streaming down her face, soaking her smiling face.
Qi Kun's heart tightened instantly. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the soreness in his throat. He took three steps forward and supported Yang Xiao's arm. "You still treat me like your master..." He choked up as soon as he opened his mouth.
He shook his head, bent down and squatted on the ground, closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then put his arm around Yang Xiao's shoulder.
Zhong Li'an was startled and stood up, looking at the two of them with concern and disbelief.
“I’m sorry, Master,” Yang Xiao sniffed, kneeling on the ground and looking at Qi Kun, “I left without saying goodbye before…”
"I've never blamed you in the slightest, so why apologize?" Qi Kun held back his tears and patted Yang Xiao's shoulder urgingly, "Alright, get up quickly."
Zhong Li'an immediately understood the bond between the two, and stopped to look at the master and disciple, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.
Yang Xiao rested her head on Qi Kun's shoulder and shook it gently.
The aroma of tea, mingled with the lingering scent of ink emanating from Qi Kun, seeped into Yang Xiao's lungs. She sighed with relief and wiped her tears on Qi Kun's body.
Qi Kun looked at Yang Xiao, who was kneeling on the ground and unwilling to get up, and shrugged her head with his shoulder, teasingly saying, "Get up quickly, or I'll kick you."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao immediately burst into laughter through her tears, still resting her head on Qi Kun's shoulder, "Then go ahead and kick me."
Seeing this, Zhong Li'an couldn't help but laugh. He stepped forward and patted the two on the shoulder with emotion, "A long-awaited reunion is a good thing, how can you keep kneeling like this?"
Qi Kun chuckled and sighed softly, stood up, pulled Yang Xiao up from the ground, and then turned to Zhong Li'an with a look of apology, saying, "My lord, you flatter me."
Zhong Li'an gently shook his head. "How could that be?"
Yang Xiao raised her hand to rub her eyes, let out a long sigh, and clasped her hands in a fist salute to Zhong Li'an, "My lord."
"This battle was truly arduous, thank you for your hard work..." Zhong Li'an said, then noticed the wound on Yang Xiao's shoulder, "How did you get injured? Why don't you go back to your room and rest..."
"It's nothing, my lord, just a minor injury." Yang Xiao smiled and shook his head, then turned to look at Qi Kun, who was also filled with worry. "I never imagined that the strategist you mentioned before the battle would be your master."
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded, looking at Qi Kun, "Sir, you've kept this well hidden. Before today, I didn't know that you were Lingyu's mentor."
Qi Kun put his arm around Yang Xiao's shoulder and said with emotion, "I never imagined that the little girl who left home to find out the truth back then would grow up so quickly."
Yang Xiao chuckled and shook her head, then looked up at Qi Kun. "How come I remember you saying before that you didn't want to get involved in the chaos of the world? Why are you suddenly volunteering to join our lord now?"
"Isn't it because I heard there's some reckless female general who's bad at riding but still wants to go to the battlefield, and she even attacks General Bai without distinguishing friend from foe?" Qi Kun teased with a smile. "Besides, you and I both know our lord's character. With such a wise and virtuous ruler, what's there to worry about in a chaotic world?"
“In that case, we can work together to accomplish great things again!” Yang Xiaoxin raised her arm with joy, her sadness from just now vanishing instantly. “It’s only been a few days, and old friends and new acquaintances have already gathered together. It seems that we can defeat Xiao Yan in no time.”
"Your eagerness for quick success is a problem," Qi Kun said with a smile, tapping Yang Xiao's head. He then raised his hand and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhong Li'an. "I must thank my lord for recognizing and rewarding me."
Seeing this, Zhong Li'an quickly raised his hand to support Qi Kun's arm, saying, "Thanks to everyone's support, I am able to stand here."
He stepped forward, patted Qi Kun on the shoulder, and smiled at the two of them. "This time, we've won another great victory. Why don't we wait for Yu De and Zhao Qing to return, and take advantage of this beautiful early summer scenery to go for a ride and enjoy the flowers in the countryside?"
"My lord, you have refined tastes; I am eager to oblige..."
Before Qi Kun could finish speaking, Yang Xiao cleared her throat, blinked, and looked at Zhong Li'an with a ulterior motive.
Qi Kun turned around and immediately knew that Yang Xiao had no good intentions. He chuckled and said, "Tell me, what kind of tricks are you up to now?"
"My lord, that tree... are you still going to climb it?"
Zhong Li'an was stunned for a moment after hearing this before he remembered their bet about climbing the locust tree. He chuckled and pointed at Yang Xiao, then pointed out the window, "You, the locust blossoms have long since faded, how could I possibly climb the tree?"
A burst of laughter erupted inside the room, and before long, Bai Ming and Zhong Lishuo returned as the sun set.
The central command tent suddenly became lively. Zhong Lishuo and Qi Kun became close friends in no time. The group chatted and laughed for half the night, while Yang Xiao had tea in her cup. However, she was in high spirits and talked more happily than anyone else.
Under Bai Ming and Zhong Lishuo's persistent questioning, Yang Xiao recounted the whole story of how she became their disciple.
"So that's how it is!" Zhongli Shuo slapped his thigh and moved closer to Qi Kun. "I heard Lingyu say that I thought you were a white-haired, otherworldly sage. I never expected you to be so young."
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, but Yang Xiao waved her hands repeatedly, "Hey, hey, I never said that, don't wrong me."
Upon seeing this, Bai Ming was stunned for a long time. He exchanged a glance with Zhong Lishuo, and then looked at Yang Xiao with a puzzled expression.
Yang Xiao quickly gave him a wink, then turned to look at Qi Kun, who was smiling but saying nothing.
"I didn't say anything, why are you panicking?" Qi Kun looked at Yang Xiao and couldn't help but smile. He then turned to Zhong Lishuo, who was picking up food, and nodded at him with a smile. "By the way, General Yude, regarding the feigned defeat earlier... it seems the enemy wasn't unaware of it."
“This…” Zhong Lishuo paused upon hearing this, “Could it be that my defeat wasn’t obvious enough?”
Upon hearing this, Zhongli An burst into laughter, nearly spitting out his food. "Yude, you," he put down his chopsticks and pointed at Zhongli Shuo, "when have you ever seen a general leading a bunch of weak soldiers who can't even withstand a single blow from an enemy general be able to take Yanzhou?"
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Zhong Li'an shook his head with a smile, "I was afraid you would be greedy for credit and act rashly, but I didn't expect you to be defeated without a fight."
Looking at the group of people laughing together, Yang Xiaocai leaned close to Bai Ming's ear and said, "See? This is what it means to 'return the favor' when you have a grudge."
Bai Ming quickly followed her lead, leaning down to listen. "A grudge must be avenged?" He smiled and looked at Yang Xiao beside him. "Why do you say that?"
"Look, he was just teased by Yude, and now he's retaliating?"
“That’s how it is – you’re the kind of person who always seeks revenge,” Bai Ming nodded in sudden realization and laughed, “No wonder you acted that way just now.”
“I’ve been teased by him countless times since I was a child.” Yang Xiao shook her head with a smile, then ran back to her table, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the group of people in front of her.
Zhongli Shuo smiled, rubbed his forehead, and shook his head. "This is indeed my fault," he said, cupping his fists towards Zhongli An, a hint of grievance barely perceptible in his expression. "You can deal with it, I accept it."
"Yude, judging from everyone's tone, they don't seem to be blaming you at all," Bai Ming said with a smile, comforting Zhong Lishuo. "Didn't you say earlier..."
“Oh, right! I persuaded that enemy general to surrender earlier,” Bai Ming said, but Zhong Lishuo immediately perked up. “Li Shun has joined us, so this can be considered making amends for our past mistakes, right?”
Bai Ming's raised hand froze in mid-air. He sighed helplessly and shook his head with a smile.
"Well done, you've redeemed yourself," Zhongli An said, tapping Zhongli Shuo's head. "If we hadn't won this battle, I certainly wouldn't have let you off so easily."
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Yang Xiao gently patted the table and looked at Zhong Lishuo with a smile, "To be honest, Yude, you are truly unmatched when it comes to getting close to people."
“I call it being honest with each other,” Zhong Lishuo said with a smile, looking at Yang Xiao. “True feelings for true feelings, do you understand?”
“But sincerity doesn’t always guarantee sincerity in return.” Qi Kun shook his head gently upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Zhong Lishuo sighed softly, "That's true. But when Li Shun asked to go with us to support Zhaoqing, we didn't agree."
Yang Xiao couldn't help but smile and point at him, teasingly saying, "I sent Zhang Ping to watch him return to Jizhou, what did you do to help?"
Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter again. Zhong Li'an looked at everyone in front of him approvingly, and then nodded to Qi Kun, "Lingyu did a good job."
Qi Kun smiled and looked at Yang Xiao, then at Zhong Li'an, and couldn't help but sigh, "Although our lord is as close as family to you all, we must be wary of spies."
"How could I not know to guard against treacherous officials and eliminate villains?" Zhongli An sighed and shook his head upon hearing this. "There is no good solution at the moment. We can only rest and reorganize while investigating the interior."
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, took a sip of wine, and said nothing more.
The brief silence passed quickly, and the topic of guarding against treacherous officials was immediately brought up again.
When Zhong Li'an mentioned going to the suburbs to enjoy the flowers and ride horses, everyone immediately became interested. They gathered together and chatted for quite some time before the banquet finally ended.
Laughter and cheerful voices blended into the night, transforming into peaceful sleep.
-
A crescent moon hung high in the sky, and slender willows swayed gently in the night breeze. Qi Kun, dressed in a crane-feather cloak, walked slowly towards the pavilion before him, with a boy carrying a zither following closely behind him.
As soon as he stepped into the pavilion, he saw a person leaning against the corner. Taking a closer look by the moonlight, Qi Kun smiled at the figure and said, "Why are you sitting here all alone? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
"I knew you'd be coming, Master, so I've been waiting here for a while," Yang Xiao replied with a smile, the bandage on her shoulder peeking out from the tear in her battle robe.
She nodded to the boy, took the zither from his hands, placed it in front of Qi Kun, sighed, and said with a smile, "It's been so many years since I've heard your music."
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun smiled and shook his head, gently plucking the strings of his instrument. "Has no one played the zither for you in the past eight or nine years?"
"How could there not be?" Yang Xiao crossed her arms, feigning arrogance. "It's just that the style of music is completely different from yours."
"Oh?" Qi Kun stopped what he was doing, tilted his head and looked at Yang Xiao. "Whose young master is he?"
Yang Xiao paused, then shook her head helplessly. "What? Can't it be a young lady?" She smiled and looked up at the crescent moon. "Do you know Cen Fei of Jiangnan?"
“How could I not know of Mr. Cen Fei’s reputation?” Qi Kun said, looking down at the strings of the zither and then touching them with his hand. “However, the old gentleman has few children, only one daughter…” He then turned to Yang Xiao, “Could it be that you know his daughter?”
Yang Xiao looked at the moon and nodded gently. "When we were in Jiangnan with Lingyue Pavilion, Marquis Yue He Yuan held a birthday banquet and specifically asked us to perform a play to celebrate his birthday. That banquet was organized by Cen Fei."
As the sound of a piano gradually rose in her ears, Yang Xiao turned to look at Qi Kun. "At that time, they were all busy with their own things, and I didn't want to interfere. I just wandered around in the backyard. I never expected that I would meet Tong Xi like this."
“It’s truly a coincidence,” Qi Kun said with a smile, holding the strings of his zither. “The Cen family has always been known for its refined and scholarly traditions, so your friend must be a man of great learning.”
Yang Xiao leaned against the pillar, smiled and nodded, "That's right. When I first met her, I only felt that she was aloof and had her own insights into everything in the world. But after getting to know her, I realized that her thoughts were very sharp, like a knife suddenly cutting into the details, getting to the bottom of everything."
“Such thinking is truly rare in this world,” Qi Kun said, looking at Yang Xiao with interest. “As far as I know, Mr. Cen Fei doesn’t have such sharp ideas. Logically speaking, she should also have a mentor, right?”
“What a coincidence,” Yang Xiao said with a smile, looking at Qi Kun. “Her master seems to have had an old acquaintance with you as well.”
"Sharp-minded, unrestrained and easygoing, with a free and easy temperament..." Qi Kun's hands did not stop moving, and his light laughter mingled with the free and easy music. "In that case, I'm afraid it can only be Xue Cheyan, right?"
Yang Xiao smiled and nodded, "When I first arrived in Jiangnan, I never mentioned you, but Mr. Xue would often talk about you."
“Xue Chang, Xue Cheyan…” Qi Kun smiled unconsciously, his eyes filled with moonlight. After a moment of thought, he said, “I know Xue Chang, you know Cen Xun, and you happen to be our disciples.” He paused and then smiled, “Looking at it this way, our lord’s great cause is also in place.”
Yang Xiao seemed to have made a connection to something, and looked at Qi Kun with a smile, "Speaking of our lord, have you heard the rumor about him picking locust flowers?"
Qi Kun chuckled upon hearing this, "I've heard a little about it. According to my lord, he even promised you..." Qi Kun paused, then turned to look at Yang Xiao, "You wouldn't be..."
“Yes,” Yang Xiao said with a smile, looking at Qi Kun, “the tree that our lord didn’t climb, you climbed for him five years ago.”
“You,” Qi Kun said with a helpless smile, shaking his head, “Xue Chang’s words cannot be entirely trusted.”
Yang Xiao smiled without speaking, leaning against a pavilion pillar with her arms as a pillow. Her eyes reflected the clear moonlight as she softly inquired, "You didn't come empty-handed this time, did you?"
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